Neverland Crew
by ExploreTheStars
Summary: This is Peter Pan in a modern day setting!


"I've been looking after you sense you were seven days old!" Hook roared, his hands balled into fists. It was obvious that he was upset. His face was a shade of red, his eyebrows furrowed together. Smee was standing next to him, a genuine expression of frustration on his face. Smee wasn't really one to get angry. In this situation and many situations before Smee was the calm one, he had always been. He was the nicer one of the pair, always trying to be optimistic and trying to help the boys. He rarely ever raised his voice, but even Smee was raising his voice now.

"We're just trying to help you, Peter." Smee said, his voice firm, but not loud. He wanted to keep the young boy in front of him calm and not agitated, but Hook obviously wasn't catching on to Smee's tactics. "We aren't asking that much of you-"

"Not asking much of me!?" The twelve year old, Peter, spoke. His voice almost louder than Hook's had been. "Oh! Right, because asking me to rob and murder a family isn't that much." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"No, it isn't!" Hook shouted, obviously not catching the heavy use of sarcasm in Peter's voice. The man sighed and ran a hand through his dark black hair. "Everyone in the Neverland Crew has to go through this, and you _know _that. It's not like this is anything new to you. I don't know why you are acting this way!"

Peter stared at Hook, his own hands balled into fists. Hook was right after all, this really wasn't anything new to him. whenever a boy in the Neverland Crew turned the age of twelve he had to do something extreme, far from the pick pocketing and stealing that the younger boys did at first. It was almost a type in initiation. If you refused to do what Hook and Smee said, it didn't end well at all. You were beaten or killed, it was that simple. This is why Peter was having such a hard time. He wasn't a murderer, he didn't even feel like a criminal to begin with. He hated calling himself that, even though it was true, he was a thief.

"I don't have to listen to you." Peter said defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't need to be here."

"Yes you do boy." Hook said, glaring at Peter. "You _need _me. Without me you would have nowhere to go, no one to talk to!"

Peter stared at Hook, thinking carefully about what to do. He could say and rob and murder that family, or he could leave. He could leave the Neverland Crew behind and run away, never having to take orders from grown ups ever again. He knew it would be dangerous, and that he would have no place to call 'home'. He had no family, no real friends. Peter would be leaving them all behind.

He decided leaving would be better. Leaving would put his life on the line, and not multiple people. The boy knew that he would not be able to live with himself if he harmed any other people. He stood quiet for a long time, staring at Hook. Calculating his movements. He wanted to make sure that he was _safe _before he did anything. Once Peter realized that it was safe, he spun around, sprinting out of the old run down house. So Peter turned around and he ran, he ran right out of the old run down house that he lived in as fast as he could.

As he was running, Peter felt like his mind was moving just as quickly as his legs. He was scared, scared that Hook would come after him. At the same time he felt a strange sense of relief. All he wanted was to be young, to be _free_. He was one step closer to being free. A small tear ran down his face. All he wanted to be was normal, he just wanted to be a normal child with no worries in the world.

Due to the thoughts racing through his mind, he ran right into someone. He let out a small yelp, and so did the stranger. She looked at him with wide eyes, "Watch where you're going!" She shouted at him. Her eyes widened slightly then when she saw that he had been crying. Suddenly, she felt guilty for yelling at him. "Boy, why are you crying?" She asked him.

Peter quickly wiped his face and shook his head. "Crying? I'm not crying. Boys don't cry." He stated defensively. He crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a soft huff.

The girl couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "Sure they don't." She paused for a moment before sticking out her hand. "Wendy, Wendy Darling. Who're you?"

Peter looked at her hand for a moment, a confused look sketched over his face. Slowly he reached forward, accepting her hand. He did not shake it however, he just held onto it. "Peter, Peter Pan." He replied, a smile on his face.

Wendy had to bite her lip to keep a laugh from pouring out of it. Slowly she pried her hand out of his and nodded her head. "Well, Peter, it is a pleasure to meet you." She looked him over again, and a look of worry flashed in her eyes. He was dirty, he almost looked homeless. "Do you have a mother?" She asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow.

Peter swallowed hard and shook his head quickly. "No, I do not."

Wendy frowned then, "Well that must be terrible. Everyone has to have a mother." She felt bad for the other boy, and honestly she felt bad and slightly embarrassed for being so forward. Wendy always wanted to help, it was in her blood. Her family was always caring, and Wendy was going to be caring as long a she should.

Peter shrugged his shoulders. "Well I don't have a mother. I had one, I know that, but I don't remember her. She left me a long time ago." He spoke as if he was talking about nothing important, like it was just simple conversation to him.

"Well then I insist you come meet _my_ mother." Wendy offered with a smile, "We can have dinner together! She would absolutely love you!" The girl reached forward then, gripping Peter's wrist. She walked off in the direction of her house, babbling to Peter about her parents the whole way.

Peter did not fight the dragging, in fact he just walked close to the Wendy girl, letting her drag him home. Maybe, now Peter would have a family that loved him and cared for him.

Maybe now he could feel like he belonged.


End file.
